Therapeutic appliance



April 30, 1935.

H. S. CHILES ET AL THERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE Filed July 26, 1932' 2 Sheets-Sheet l /nz/enor5:

M5-@files April 30, 1935. H, s CHILES ET AL- 1,999,956

THERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE Filed July 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Pu-ya g@ l Y oscillatably mounted upon thisrshaft or boltare Patented Apr. 30, 1935 THERAPEUTICAPPLIANCE. Y Herbert. S. `:Chiles and'FrankjL. VGeivgervn Y.

p p n, Y x 'rampante j Appnation July 2s, 1932,'senatlrnnizgssa` l2 claims. (c1. 12a-.49. Y

This invention relates to therapeutic appliances' and Vparticularly to those appliances-by which vibrations are transmitted to the. bodyfof the pa,- tient.` i

The Ageneralo-bject of this Vinvention Ais to vide an apparatus of thischaracter which is'rvery simple, which is benecialto the muscular tissues` and nerves, which will stimulate blood circulation, reduce fatty tissues and Ywhichis adapted to be used in all cases where handl massage or mechanical massage or vibration isV now used.

A further object is to provide a vibrator orY massager of this character comprising a supporting frame carrying a pluralityr of pivoted arms,

Aarms and a modified form of applicator;

Figure fi is a top plan'view of an arm andapplicator'shown in Figure l, and` Y v Figure 5 is an elevation ofthe eccentric'supvporting shaft with a pair of eccentrics'mounted thereon.

Figure 6 is a face View of the applicator shownin Figure 3.

Referring to these drawings,l 8 Vdesignates'a supporting frame held in spaced relation by the bolts 'i and having the handles 5 at its forward end. Mountediupon the rear of thissupporting frame is the electric motorv I, the shaft of which carries a band wheel Ia over which a belt 2 passes.

ThisV motor is controlled by a switch I2 of anyr suitable character. Mounted upon the forward end of the frame constituted bythe member 8 is the shaft 4 which carries uponY it the band wheel or pulley 3 over which the belt 2 passes, thus transmitting power tothe shaft 4. The shaft 4,

'as illustrated in Figure 5 is many-sided in crossY section and mounted thereon are a plurality of eccentrics I4 as will be later stated. Y Extending through the rear endof theframe formed by the members 8 is a shaft or bolt Band a series of arms 9. These arms at their rear ends are formed with bearing portionsV I0 through which the shaft' passes.V Thus the arms 9 may move vin va plane at vrightY angles to their length;

The arr'ns 9 are formed of two sections 9 ands. l The sectionsi and 9a' arejjoined to each other by the yokes 5, .the-extremities" of Y which are angled and inserted in depressionsorgrooves I59A lformed in theds'ections 9 and 9a, vBoltsfIS pass through these yoke lplatesv I5 andthrough-th'e sections 9 andQS to holdY the yokev plates inplace.

The shaft f 4 passes Athrough 'the space between these yoke plates and carries upon-it theeccentrios I4 separated from each other by the spacing washers I6; VIt will be obvious now that as the shaft 4 is rotated bythe motor I, the arms 9 will be givenan,oscillatory'motion in a plane atright angles to the axis 6 andv that if the eccentrics I4 are disposed so as to project in different directions, certainA of the arms 9 will be 'moving kupward and certain of them will be moving downward at each instant of operation.

Mounted upon the sections'9a of the armsy 9l `are the arcuate applicators II; Preferably the PAT oFfFlcs "Uri" outer faces of the applicators will be recessed'asj shown in Figure at I'In to receive the' balls I1,

Vthese balls being held inY place by .af-plate I9 atvtached at itsrends to the ends of the arcuate applicator I I, by means of the screws ZI).` The arcuate applicators I I as shown-in Figure Sphave their operative faces concentric with the axis of oscillation andas shown in Figure 2, these faces are relatively narrow as compared with their length in the direction of `their oscillatory movement. The massaging surface is thus composed of a plurality of closely adjacent relatively narrowV portions which are movable relative to each other,

each massaging surface or member II having its movement at any instant at a different phase of Aoscillation vfrom that of the adjacent applicator but in all phases of oscillation, the surface re-l 'mains of uniform curvature. y A

In the use of this apparatusthe frame is supported in any suitable manner, either supported by hand or mountedupon a suitable support, and

theapplicators applied to the body atthe point desired. y The electrical motor I operates to cause the applicators to move vertically and exert `a massaging and yvibratory action upon the body. Thev eccentrics I4 are capable of being removed from the vshaft 4 so as to dispose the eccentrics angle to secure a variable. motion.

It is to be understood lthat while we have yshown a square shaft and the eccentric as having square eyes, any other means of mounting the eccentrics upon the shaft for rotation therewith may be used. By having the shaftl square, however,

' in different relations to each other atany desired it is possible tovremove Ythe eccentrics and dispose them at any desired angle with relation to each other. l While we have shownan applicator of a certain form,- it will be understood that these applicators may be of any desired shape or size and constructed of rubber, fibre fabric, metal, glass or any other suitable material and it is to be also understoodthat these applicators may be varied with relation tov each other sc that certain Yapplicators may be 'provided with -rotatable balls, other applicators vithl vother forms of knobs or with simply a covering of textile fabric, etc. In Figures l, 2 and 4, however, the applicators are shown as being smooth faced or free from balls or.

knobs. It is also to be understood that many modifications might be madeVv in thedetailsof construction without departing from the vspirit ofiA the invention as -defined v in Athe appendedy claims.' Weclaim:- Y 'l 1. A massaging apparatus of the character described, comprising a LsupportingYfrazneta series of` arms pivotally. mounted `upon said frame for loscillation arounda common` axis in planes at right-.anglesto the jaxis uponA whichthey oscil-v late, the arms being'f'ormedin ltwo sections, the

outer section of each* arm carrying an applicator concentric to theaxis of the arm, a pair of detachable yokeplates connecting the sectionsV of each arm andspacing them fromeach other, a

shaft passing betweenv all of said pai'rsof yoke plates, eccentrics, one foreach arm disposed on said shaft and between the pairs of yoke plates to engage therewith to cause voscillation of the arms,Y and power operated means for driving said shaft. Y

. 2. A massaging apparatus of the character described comprising a supporting frame, a series Y of arms pivotallymounted upon said frame for oscillation around fa common axis lin planes at right angles t'o theY axis upon which they oscillate,

the arms being formed in two sections, the outer "section of each arm carrying an applicator having an outer surface concentric lto theV aXisfof the arm,.ryoke plates spacing the sections of each arm fromv'each other, the sections of the arms being recessed upon their upper and lower faces, the

`yoke .plates having iianges engaging in said recesses, both passing through the arm sections and through said yoke plates to detachably hold the yoke plates in place, a shaft passing between all of the pairs` of yoke plates, eccentrics one for each arm disposedon said shaft and between the pairs of yokesplates and ,engaged therewith to `cause oscillation of thearms', and power operated means for driving the shaft.n

` HERBERT S. CHILES.

FRANK L. GEIGER. 

